Chapter 34 Building a Shrine to the Living: Seeing the words is like meeting in person; opening the letter brings a smile to one's face.
Bitao and Zhankui stayed in Chunfeng Tower for six whole days.
This is not an ordinary brothel where people only eat, drink, and seek pleasure; it is a large-scale entertainment restaurant that offers a full range of services including eating, drinking, playing, entertainment, lodging, alcohol, sex, gambling, and performances.
Located on the south side of Wind Chime City, right next to the main street, the building occupies half a street in width and is seven stories high. Inside, people revel day and night, making it a den of iniquity that only high-ranking officials and nobles can afford.
If we're talking about misery and poverty, the human world can be called purgatory.
If we're talking about extreme luxury and indulgence, this world can be called paradise.
Bitao felt that even when she was a fairy in the heavens, she had never lived such a life where she was waited on hand and foot, and was helped by others to walk, sit, and lie down... like a disabled person.
Her bones had softened and melted in the fragrant orchids and melodious music of this building.
For a few brief moments, Bitao even wondered, "Isn't it good to be a human? Why do I have to be an immortal?"
If everyone lived this way, who would covet a celestial position?
But only for a few moments. Soon, her tenacious willpower would reignite like a spark ignited in the ashes, quickly spreading like wildfire and allowing reason to regain control of her mind.
After all... she wasn't born with a lucky fate.
Yes, Bitao already knows that before Zhankui condensed his spirit in the Heavenly Realm, he was originally a koi carp under the Water Chun Bridge connecting Youtian and Juntian.
In the Nine Heavens, everyone born into a chaotic world has a tragic past. Such a world is indeed prone to producing heroes, but people in chaotic times are like duckweed and straw dogs, and it is also easy for them to die before they can even achieve their goals.
Unfortunately, she became the only daughter of a king of a different surname, and was so spoiled that she became completely arrogant and ignorant of her own limitations. Even Bitao was astonished by her wild words.
Bitao had been thinking that the daughter of a concubine had become the unique Princess Mingzhu, and that her three older brothers had all died on the battlefield; she was incredibly lucky.
However, after learning that Zhan Kui was a lucky charm, Bi Tao thought that the one with better luck was probably Dai Derong, who was not related to the royal family.
If Zhan Kui hadn't been reborn into his family, and if Heaven hadn't felt that this little carp needed a loving father, then his past battle that resulted in the loss of three sons would probably have buried Rong An Wang as well.
These past few days, Bitao has been constantly looking for opportunities to get information out of Zhankui, but Zhankui doesn't actually need to be coaxed; he's always been very open and honest.
Bitao not only had a thorough understanding of the situation in the seven cities of Dayuan Prefecture and a preliminary grasp of the political situation in the court, but Zhan Kui even wrote a list of the correspondence between Prince Rong'an and the court officials for Bitao.
Furthermore, Zhan Kui explained to Bi Tao in detail many things about the Heavenly Realm that Bi Tao did not know but should know, including the hidden rules.
Moreover, Bitao knew even better that Prince Rong'an's affection for his Princess Mingzhu was no longer just affection, but excessive indulgence.
No normal father would allow his daughter to associate with a cult member and indulge in pleasure in the famous brothel of Wind Chime City, forgetting all about home.
During this period, Prince Rong'an sent people from his palace to visit Zhan Kui six times.
I pick her up and take her home once a day.
Every time Zhan Kui said, "Haven't you had enough fun yet?", the person who came to pick her up would go home, never forcing her to stay.
Furthermore, Zhan Kui told Bi Tao, "Don't worry, if my father doesn't like you, you don't have to see him at all. I've invested a lot of money in this Chunfeng Tower. The floor we're on now is only used to occasionally receive distinguished guests; the rest of the time it belongs to me alone."
"You'll stay here. I'll only go back occasionally to make do, and I'll stay here with you then! I'll also call over the head chef from the manor..."
So Bitao quickly learned that Zhan Kui had been doing some business all these years.
The money in her treasury, including all the extravagant expenses in the Rong'an Prince's Mansion that exceed the income from his fiefdom and the imperial salary, all came from the money earned by Zhan Kui from some shops he "casually" opened.
Bitao took a deep breath upon hearing this.
I asked her, "You mean... you just think something is fun, so you invest some money to have someone do it, and then you quickly make a fortune?"
What about those days when she hunted in the mountains regardless of the weather, and when she and her mother-in-law were always hungry and cold?
What are the days she risked her life, racking her brains with a group of people to deal with the cultists?
Zhan Kui nodded: "That's right, isn't that how business works?"
No wonder Prince Rong'an didn't care how much his daughter indulged in debauchery and how openly she kept men in the mansion. Wasn't he a Midas touch, a living god of wealth?
Bitao silently tilted her head back and downed a glass of wine, suppressing the unspeakable envy in her heart.
Six days have passed, and she has reached the limit in testing Rong An Wang's attitude. She has now decided to abandon all her schemes and intrigues.
She directly used Zhan Kui to control Prince Rong An.
This kind of indulgence in extravagance should also stop.
After all... she doesn't have the luck of a lucky koi!
Then Bitao exhaled a breath of wine, propped her elbows on the windowsill, straightened her posture slightly, and finally prepared to talk to Zhan Kui about serious matters.
Bitao and Zhankui sat by the window. Although it was not yet springtime, the artificial lake outside the window was filled with painted boats adorned with five-colored ribbons, and the sounds of string and wind instruments drifted gently into their ears.
The water lanterns are scattered across the lake like stars. Looking down, one can see a beautiful scene: "Spring is in full bloom, with colorful flowers and countless stars scattered in the Milky Way."
Bitao pointed to the several handsome men kneeling behind the screen next to the two of them: "Let them go down."
They were playing together when they heard Bitao tell them to leave, so they slowly stopped playing their instruments and waited for instructions.
Zhan Kui was intoxicated, his face and lips were flushed red, and his eyes were glazed with drunkenness.
Hearing this, she raised an eyebrow at Bitao and said, "You don't like them? They were all chosen by Mingguang..."
Zhan Kui, his face still gleaming with lecherous intent, said, "So you still like the one from the first day the most? I'll have someone clean him up for you..."
Bitao raised her hand to stop Zhan Kui, and then pinched her brow.
She made a fool of herself on her very first day at Chunfeng Tower.
On the first day, after dinner, Zhan Kui invited a few male musicians over to pass the time.
The peaches were fresh and lovely, but one of the men playing the zither had a cold expression on his face from beginning to end, as if someone owed him a thousand taels of silver and hadn't paid it back, exuding an air of being forced into prostitution.
Bitao admitted that this person did have a touch of aloofness that attracted her.
She thought of all the "wickedness of the world" she had witnessed, and of how she had once been a celestial maiden, and how she still had many celestial maidens and celestial rulers around her.
So she asked the man, "Were you forced into this situation? If you have your reasons, I can..."
I can redeem you and give you your freedom.
As Heaven has proven, Bitao didn't have any bad habit of saving prostitutes; it was just that she happened to be "within her power" and happened to have a little bit of compassion.
As soon as she finished speaking, the man playing the zither froze, his cold, frosty expression instantly turning into panic.
Zhan Kui, who was being fed wine by someone, spat out a mouthful of wine onto the table, laughing so hard he almost fell off the table.
In the end, Bitao realized that the man wasn't unwilling at all; he was just selling his sexuality by "forcing a good woman into prostitution."
People who come here are seeking "elegance" and don't actually force women into prostitution, but these aloof beauties are extremely sought after.
Not everyone can pull off this kind of performance.
Moreover, to be accepted into the Chunfeng Tower, one must undergo rigorous selection processes, including tests of talent, appearance, height, temperament, and even the volume of one's voice. It is arguably even stricter than the imperial examinations for the third-ranked scholar.
He had worked so hard to get in, and countless people had tried to redeem him from his servitude, but he just treated it as a joke.
After all, on his occasional good days, he could earn in a single day what some people who could only afford to come here could earn in a year.
But Bitao came with her boss and saw how the boss treated this woman with utmost sincerity.
Let alone "letting him go back to his good ways," judging from the way they're acting, they'd even allow the boss to sing and dance to please this woman.
Clearly, this is a truly "noble person".
This "aloof and handsome young man" felt secretly pleased when he noticed that Jin Guiren was looking at him several times, thinking that he had once again climbed the social ladder to become a god of wealth.
When "Noble Lady Jin" offered to release him and allow him to return to his "good" state, how could he not panic?
In the end, it turned out to be a huge misunderstanding.
Bitao's face has been almost completely stripped bare, and Zhan Kui has no sense of propriety at all, sparing no effort in mocking Bitao.
Zhan Kui has been laughing about this for days, and now that it's being brought up again, it's really...
Bitao rested her forehead on her hand, watching how happy Bitao was, and helplessly let her laugh.
Zhan Kui added, "You don't have to see him, that's fine too. That kid's so pretentious. If you don't like these few, I'll find you some others."
As Zhan Kui spoke, he waved his hand, and those who had been quietly behind the screen silently withdrew.
Bitao shook her head.
Zhan Kui paused for a moment and then said, "You're not trying to remain chaste for Mingguang, are you?"
Upon hearing this, Bitao's eyebrows twitched, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
For whom do you remain chaste?
Bitao simply doesn't like it.
She considered herself extraordinary even when she was just a village girl, and now that she knows she was originally a celestial being, this group of people, if she had to describe them, would be a bunch of "ordinary mortals".
She can eat almost anything, but if she eats something differently, not everyone can stomach it.
"Oh right, I think I've asked you several times already. Where have you been the whole time? Why can't I find you?"
"After you descended to the mortal realm, did you run into Mingguang? Back in the celestial realm, he acted all high and mighty. Now that you're down here, what are you afraid of? I'll help you catch him and give him a piece of my mind!"
Zhan Kui looked excited, as if as long as Bi Tao nodded, she would immediately mobilize her men to search for Ming Guang, capture him, wash him clean, strip him naked, and let Bi Tao enjoy him.
Bitao propped herself up on her arms, still not answering immediately. She looked at Zhan Kui for a long time before saying, "You've been having people look for me all along, haven't you? They've all been normal families, haven't they?"
"After I was born, because I was a girl who could not carry on the family line, my biological parents threw me into the mountains, where I was almost eaten by wolves."
Bitao said, "I was picked up and raised by an old woman. For eighteen years, I lived by hunting in the mountains, so of course you couldn't find me."
Zhan Kui was stunned: "How could it be so terrible?! Even worse than Xuanjia's!"
“At least Xuanjia still has parents who were fishermen! Although they died relatively young…”
Bitao shrugged and smiled, then, as if genuinely curious, asked Zhan Kui, "As for Mingguang... did I really like him when I was in the Heavenly Realm?"
"What do you mean 'like it'? You're practically obsessed with it!"
"You've been pursuing him for over a hundred years! You've followed him, sent him flowers and gifts, but he's never accepted your kindness!"
Zhan Kui felt sorry for Bi Tao, thinking about how hard she had worked to pursue him. She hadn't understood what was so good about men before, but now that she knew, she felt sorry for Bi Tao, who had ended up in jail more than 300 times for not getting the man she wanted.
Bitao asked, "You like it that much... what else have I done?"
"There are many..."
Zhan Kui embellished all of Bi Tao's "heroic deeds" in pursuing Ming Guang Tian Xian in the Heavenly Realm.
The bright light was described as a proud crane, which no matter how high Bitao jumped, she could not reach.
It was utterly disgraceful.
Bitao: "..." She took several deep breaths.
No wonder Bingjing was so hostile when they first met, and tried to hit her with a stick without even asking what happened.
Bitao, upon hearing Zhan Kui say this, also felt an urge to whip herself with a stick.
That's despicable!
She couldn't possibly be that kind of person!
Bitao heard Zhan Kui say, "In order to get close to him, your immortal essence was shattered twice! Twice! Just before the competition in the lower realm!"
"You even became the catalyst for the conflict between the Ancient Immortal Clan and the Immortal Position of Merit because of him, but he didn't appreciate it at all, and wouldn't even let you kiss him!"
Bitao's temples throbbed with excitement.
As Zhan Kui was speaking, he slammed his hand on the table and suddenly jumped up in anger.
"No! I'll have someone find and arrest him right now!"
"What's the point of playing with people who resemble him? It's much more fun to humiliate him!"
As she was about to rush out to call for help, Bitao quickly reached out and pulled Zhankui back.
"Never mind, sit down first."
"I think it was because my immortal essence was too weak that I was unable to withstand the teleportation and injured my celestial soul. After descending to the mortal realm, I no longer remember those things."
"Naturally, I wouldn't like him anymore."
"And I ran into him a while ago when I was with a cult..."
Bitao finally agreed to tell Zhankui about some of her past experiences.
As a result, Zhan Kui became more and more excited as he listened.
Hearing that Mingguang was tied to the bed, Bitao didn't even go to him. Instead, she treated his infected wounds. She was so heartbroken that she slapped her thigh.
"Sister, are you impotent?! You don't care whether you liked him or not when you were down in the mortal realm, just go for it first!"
"If you don't do it, you'll be letting down all the suffering you endured chasing him all these years!"
Bitao was both amused and exasperated.
"But I didn't know him at all at that time. Would I just go after anyone I meet?"
"Even if you don't know him, you can't help but like him. Wasn't the musician you were supposed to release on your first day here just because he looked like the Celestial Fairy Mingguang?"
Bitao's expression was indescribable: "Can we not talk about that person anymore?"
She lost all face in her life on that day.
"Oh dear, what a pity," Zhan Kui said. "So he recovered after you took care of him, and then he just left like that? You just let him go like that?" "You met the True Immortal Binglun, why didn't you smash his skull open?"
“If the people of the Heavenly Realm see through the Silver River Net that you didn’t dare to touch Mingguang or retaliate against Binglun under those circumstances, your ‘lifelong reputation’ will probably be ruined.”
“It’s not that I’m afraid, it’s that I don’t remember, and I don’t like it,” Bitao corrected.
"Bullshit! If you don't like her, you can chase her for a hundred years!" Zhan Kui thought Bi Tao's mouth was harder than a dead duck.
Bitao really didn't know how to explain to her that she was not the kind of person who would be easily aroused by a beautiful woman.
I decided to stop dwelling on this issue.
"Moreover, the matter of Immortal Binglun throwing things at me will be resolved when we return to the Heavenly Realm."
"Even if you really don't like it anymore, taking the opportunity to humiliate it is a way to vent your anger." Zhan Kui couldn't get over this matter.
It's as if she's the one who wasted a century of unrequited love on a dog.
Bitao smiled and said, "Then you probably won't be able to get rid of this anger. He's not someone you can easily catch now."
“You told me yesterday that there’s a new force in the capital called Prince Danxi who’s recently joined the fight for the throne. But you probably don’t know that Prince Danxi is Mingguang.”
"What?!"
"Why is he so lucky? He was born as a legitimate grandson of the emperor right from the start? Did the ancient immortal clan do something to him?"
Bitao shook her head, not knowing what was going on with Mingguang, but if the Ancient Immortal Clan really did something wrong, the other contestants wouldn't tolerate him once they returned to the Heavenly Realm.
Moreover, Mingguang is Danxi, and Bitao is also based on guesswork.
That's not hard to guess.
When Mingguang left Chongchuan City, he traveled with General Yunchuan, who was returning in triumph.
When Zhan Kui and Bi Tao were discussing the situation in the capital, they mentioned the grandson of the emperor who had been found on the border, but was intercepted and killed by a coalition of forces within the capital.
In the end, however, he returned to the capital unharmed with the triumphant army and was granted the title of Prince of Danxi. His residence was even given to him as a summer palace.
Those who intercepted and killed Prince Danxi had tried to involve Prince Rong'an, promising him the three cities of Jianfeng, Lingshui, and Yunan near Dayuan Prefecture if the plan succeeded.
"It was I who persuaded my father to refuse to cooperate with them in the first place."
"We have plenty of food and clothing here in Dayuan Prefecture. The emperor is far away, so why should we get involved with those people?"
"Expanding the fiefdom won't bring in much more income, so it's better to open a couple more shops."
"You're right to advise me."
“A king of a different surname who dominates a continent should not exist in the first place, but the Qingliao Kingdom has four of them now.”
"Among them, Prince Rong'an was not considered a standout among the four non-royal princes because he had lost three sons and had not produced a heir to carry on the family line."
"But if he were to take over the three surrounding cities, he would be stirring up trouble and would become the target of everyone's criticism."
"I don't understand those things. Anyway, I won't get involved with them. Isn't it better to just live my own happy life?"
Zhan Kui poured himself another glass of wine, but found the wine pot was empty when he was halfway through.
Turning around, he called out, "Another pot of Qionghua wine, please..."
Bitao raised her hand to stop her: "Never mind, have some soup to wake me up. I have something to tell you in detail."
"Can't we talk while we drink? To liven things up!"
Bitao reached out and flicked her forehead, her expression becoming a little serious.
Just then, the wine deliveryman opened the door, and Zhan Kui, rubbing his head where he had been flicked, said, "Forget it, forget it, we don't need the wine. Just make us two bowls of hangover soup instead."
"Yes." The person holding the wine left again.
Bitao looked at Zhan Kui and said seriously, "All these years, besides looking for me and Xuanjia, you haven't done anything but enjoy yourself?"
"Isn't enjoying life the most important thing?" Zhan Kui said. "We've only been born once, so we should definitely enjoy it to the fullest!"
"But we must eventually return to the heavens."
Bitao said, "Have you figured out how to obtain 100,000 faith points?"
"Hey, what's the rush? Let's enjoy life to the fullest first, then do some good deeds, and our faith will come flowing in like crazy..."
Zhan Kui spoke very casually.
In fact, if she were to actually do it, it would probably be just as easy for her.
"But the order of returning to heaven is different. I heard from others that if one obtains faith power first and returns to heaven with enough merit, the immortals will double the reward when passing the tribulation."
"Don't you want to be the first to win?"
Zhan Kui: "...Good Bitao, do you know how many of us are participating in this competition in the mortal realm?"
"More than ten thousand! More than ten thousand immortals have descended from the Nine Heavens!"
"Maybe someone has already passed away with 100,000 faith points. How can I be the first to claim the prize?"
"Isn't winning all that important? I don't have that much ambition."
“But I want to be the first,” Bitao declared decisively.
Zhankui: "..."
She stared at Bitao for a long time, even rubbing her slightly blurry eyes from the alcohol.
In the end, it was discovered that Bitao was serious, just like how she was always happy to be struck by lightning every time she wanted to ascend to a higher immortal position in the Heavenly Realm, and she remained steadfast in her determination.
Just like her unwavering determination in pursuing the Celestial Immortal Mingguang, even when her immortal essence cracked.
It seems that there's very little that Bitao can't do if she wants to.
Zhan Kui cleared his throat after a long pause and said, "But what if someone has already..."
“No,” Bitao said. “I’m sure not.”
"Of all the immortals I've met, apart from you, none of them were born into good circumstances. To expect to gain 100,000 faith points in just over a decade is nothing but a pipe dream."
Zhan Kui thought about it and realized that when she was looking for Bi Tao, all the immortals she encountered, whether they were from ancient immortal clans or merit-based immortals, were indeed living quite miserable lives.
Some are slightly better, but it's true that no one can have 100,000 units of faith power!
Zhan Kui was about to be happy for Bi Tao, but then he remembered something.
"But you said Mingguang Tianxian was Prince Danxi, so he must have been the first to die, right?"
"Once he truly ascends to the position of Crown Prince, he will be second only to the Emperor."
"At that time, he only needs to accumulate some military merits or other achievements for the country and the people. He doesn't even need to have any real political achievements. The people naturally respect and believe in the future monarch. Won't their faith flow to him like a river?"
That's right.
Bitao said, "However, the princes in the capital have been fighting for the throne for many years, and they have been killing each other and bleeding each other, but no one has yet been able to take the throne."
"He is an abandoned grandson of the emperor. His father, the son of Empress Yuan, was never made crown prince until his death. To put it nicely, he is a grandson of the emperor, but to put it bluntly, his bloodline is still in doubt. How easy is it for him to ascend to the throne?"
Zhan Kui really had no ambition. If Ming Guang was a model of the ancient immortal clan, she was always the epitome of someone who just lazed around and did nothing.
The only thing that can be considered a dream is to try to leap over the Divine Dragon Gate when I reach a higher immortal rank.
Seeing that Bitao was logical and determined to win, she naturally wouldn't discourage her.
She was always more arrogant than Bitao.
Some even felt that Bitao must have already made a plan in mind to think this way.
If Bitao wants it, Bitao will definitely get it!
"So what do you want to do?"
Zhan Kui was also easily ignited by her passion, "Just thinking about the expressions of those ancient immortals after you win the competition..."
"Haha ...
Zhan Kui even started laughing beforehand, as if Bi Tao had already won: "No, no, just thinking about the scene makes my stomach hurt from laughing..."
Bitao looked at the person on the other side of the table who was clutching their stomach and slapping the table, and she laughed too.
The hangover soup arrived, and after the two finished it, they started rolling up their sleeves and plotting.
"You can't wait until you've enjoyed yourself enough in the future and then think about just using some faith power to get by. What if you can't gather enough?"
"The power struggles within the capital are fierce, and the princes from all directions are easy targets. The old emperor is senile and old. If he were to suddenly die, and the other princes were to ascend the throne, the first ones to be dealt with would be the princes from other families."
"In the end, without the backing of Princess Mingzhu, what will you rely on to gain faith and return to heaven?"
Zhan Kui scratched her head, realizing she hadn't thought that far ahead.
Even if she can't be a princess, she can still do business. She can just throw money around and have faith.
Bitao knew what she was thinking just by looking at her, and then reached out and flicked her forehead.
“I know you’re lucky, and it might actually work, but the tribulation of death requires not only faith but also enough merit to receive the double reward.”
Faith is easy to follow, but merit is not.
Bitao asked her brothers, who were immortals of merit. The criteria for judging merit were in the hands of the four celestial officials and the six underworld officials, and the judgment had to be made in combination with the difficulty of the circumstances and the merit itself.
When wealthy people give away their money, the merit they can gain is minimal.
It is easier to accumulate merit if one persists in doing good deeds despite facing difficulties.
The most difficult thing for Zhan Kui is not gaining faith power, but gaining merit, because with her luck, it is unlikely that she will encounter any difficult circumstances.
During these days of observation, Zhan Kui's performance greatly satisfied Bi Tao.
Bitao naturally reciprocated her generosity and kindness towards Bitao.
Therefore, she had already planned out the way for Zhan Kui to pass away.
"Let Prince Rong'an build shrines for you in seven cities within Dayuan Prefecture."
Bitao had even come up with a reason for Rong'an Wang's actions.
"The reason is that during his early years of war and founding the country, he lost three sons. Now, due to old injuries, he has no chance of having an heir. Therefore, as the only daughter of the Prince of Rong'an, he was afraid that God would take you away again. So he decided to build a shrine for you and pray for the blessings of all the people in the fiefdom so that you can live a long and peaceful life."
Zhan Kui looked confused, but then, remembering her father's numerous concubines, she said, "But he's only taken his nineteenth concubine..."
Although Prince Rong'an doted on his beloved daughter, Princess Mingzhu, he never gave up the idea of having another son.
Bitao tapped the table twice with her knuckles, looked at Zhan Kui and said, "Even if he marries 108 concubines, he still won't be able to have children." He probably only survived because of the good fortune that Zhan Kui was born as a koi fish.
"I have a way to persuade him about disbanding the backyard."
Bitao said, "Even if he doesn't dismiss them, it doesn't matter."
"After he builds a shrine for you, place your portrait inside the shrine, but do not set up an incense altar. Send people to spread the word about your great fortune, such as turning stones into gold. Also, set up a donation box inside the shrine."
"This box is not for collecting offerings from the people of the fiefdom, but for collecting paper strips and ribbons from their prayers."
"Then you can have your people select some of the easier tasks to complete, without violating human ethics and morality, to help the people complete them."
"You can also set up a shed and distribute porridge at the entrance of your ancestral hall on a fixed day each month to help beggars and disaster victims."
"On your earthly birthday, select a lucky person and solve all their troubles."
"Ordinary people worry about money, but if you casually peek out a little bit from between your fingers, you can change someone's fate against all odds."
...
Bitao listed many ways to maintain the popularity of the shrine, leaving Zhan Kui utterly dumbfounded.
Bitao said to her in the end, "Once this shrine becomes popular, its faith and real merits will flow in like rivers into the sea."
"You don't even need to offer incense; you just need to express your wish to receive benefits. This kind of good fortune will mold you into a living 'deity.'"
"Once you establish yourself in the hearts of the people, even if your father is purged by the emperor one day, he will have to consider public opinion and will not easily punish you."
"No matter how great the storms may be in the future, it will save your life; this is one of the benefits of building a shrine to you."
"Everyone hopes for good luck, especially in these chaotic times. When you become synonymous with good luck, your faith will reach a peak within a few years."
"Perhaps people outside of Dayuan Prefecture will also build a shrine for you to pray for good fortune. I predict that within ten years, it will surpass 100,000 faith power. At that time, you can complete your merits and lie down to await your passing."
"This is the second benefit of building a shrine to the living."
“Once Prince Rong’an builds a shrine for you, it will be a declaration to the world of his high regard and doting affection for you. It will also be a subtle message to the capital that he will not have any more descendants, and therefore will have no right or ambition to compete for the throne.”
"At that time, Prince Rong'an will transform from a fierce tiger that has been patiently lying in wait to devour its master into a mascot with its claws and fangs removed. He will become a highly sought-after prize, and Dayuan Prefecture will become the eye of the storm."
"This is the third benefit of building a shrine to the living."
After Bitao finished speaking, Zhan Kui couldn't help but slap her repeatedly.
Even if she racked her brains, she couldn't have come up with such a brilliant plan that killed three birds with one stone.
"But you've thought of everything so carefully for me, even considering my father and the people of Dayuan Prefecture. What about yourself?"
"How do you acquire faith power, and then achieve perfect merit and pass away peacefully?"
Bitao smiled, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom. She slowly circled her finger around the empty bowl of hangover soup and said, "I have a brilliant plan."
In reality, she felt that the way to gain faith power through the shrine was too slow.
What Mingguang held in his hand was the best hand among all the immortals in the lower realms.
Although Bitao didn't remember liking him, she had to admire his abilities as a role model of the ancient immortal clan.
Bitao didn't believe that the Ancient Immortal Clan would dare to tamper with the first competition. Mingguang's identity must have been obtained through some unknown means, allowing him to replace the original imperial grandson.
This path is not only the fastest way to gain faith power, but it can also help the followers of the ancient immortal clan to experience a surge in faith.
As for merits, as the crown prince of a country, he has the right to choose all matters concerning the people, whether they are in court or in the countryside. If he does not do well, he will be neither meritorious nor demeritful; if he does well, he will be meritorious in his time and beneficial for future generations.
Winning the competition was a piece of cake.
But Bitao simply refused to believe in that superstition.
That night, she and Zhan Kui cricketed until midnight, making many detailed arrangements for what would happen next.
Then, on the morning of the seventh day, when someone from the Rong'an Prince's Mansion came to pick them up again, the two happily got into the carriage and went back to the Prince's Mansion.
Bitao finally met Prince Rong'an, albeit a few days late.
At that time, Zhan Kui and she told their father, Prince Rong An, everything that Bi Tao had said the night before.
"Father, I think this method is brilliant! What do you think?! This way, no one will be able to touch Dayuan Prefecture!"
Prince Rong'an, dressed in a python robe, a tall crown and a jade belt, sat upright in a grand chair, his eyes cold and indifferent as he scrutinized Bitao.
When he heard his beloved daughter say that this servant of the Tsinghua Church said that he "has no male heirs in this life and should dismiss his harem to reduce his brilliance," his eyebrows twitched slightly.
Bitao was still dressed in the uniform of the Tsinghua Divine Sect, her expression gentle and respectful, yet her eyes held a smile, which made Rong Anwang feel a little uneasy.
He had only felt this way decades ago, when he was ambushed and barely escaped death, venturing alone into the deep mountains and being targeted by a pack of wolves.
When Zhan Kui's throat became dry, he sat down next to Prince Rong'an, picked up the teapot, tilted his head back, and poured the tea into his mouth.
Only then did Prince Rong'an, who had remained as steady as Mount Tai, speak.
And as soon as he opened his mouth, he grasped the crux of the matter.
"The Emperor's attendant is so considerate of my Great Yuan Prefecture, my royal residence, and my beloved daughter..."
"May I ask what you seek, waiter?"
Surely it's not that the Tsinghua Cult, rife with thugs and villains, has come to their Dayuan Prefecture to do good deeds?
Bitao was waiting for him to ask her what she wanted.
Without hesitation, he smiled and said, "I beg Your Highness to open the gates of Wind Chime City and allow my 378 men to reside there."
"The construction of the shrine will be handled by my subordinates."
The fourth benefit of building a shrine for Zhan Kui was that the refugees she led all had something to do, money to earn, and food to eat.
During the construction of the shrine, he could be deployed to her use at any time.
Once all the shrines have been built, they will surely have found a way to integrate into Dayuan Prefecture.
This is the first step she took in establishing her base.
Rong Anwang sneered, thinking to himself that, as expected, these greedy and rebellious people from the Qinghua Divine Cult came to his Dayuan Prefecture for either money or power.
Now, under the guise of doing what's best for them, they want to build a shrine for his Princess Mingzhu.
If we let them lead us by the nose, wouldn't we end up having both money and power in our hands?
dream!
Prince Rong'an refused on the spot: "Don't even think about it. My Prince Rong'an Mansion and my Great Yuan Prefecture will never associate with such people as the Qinghua Divine Cult who harm civilians, rape, and plunder!"
Bitao almost clapped her hands and shouted "Well done!"
She was genuinely afraid that Prince Rong'an was completely lacking in integrity, a fickle and arrogant fool who was overestimating his abilities and scheming for the throne.
Even today, the spirit of the loyal ministers and generals who brought prosperity to the people and established the nation remains.
Bitao racked her brains, several ways to persuade Prince Rong'an came to mind.
But she chose to take the shortcut.
If one can "hold the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords" and directly ascend to the high platform, who would bother climbing the ladder step by step?
She gave Zhan Kui, who had just put down the kettle, a look that meant—it's up to you now.
Then he walked straight out the door and thoughtfully closed the door behind him and his daughter.
"Father! How could you say such a thing about my dear sister!"
"What best friend? You've never even met her before, you just had a few days of partying together, how did she become your best friend?!"
Although Prince Rong'an indulged his obedient daughter, he knew all too well what kind of person she was.
How can someone be a good person who hits off so well with their own daughter and shares such bad tastes?!
As expected of the Emperor's attendant at Tsinghua University, he truly has a knack for bewitching people!
Although his obedient daughter usually acted recklessly, she also despised and scorned those evil people in the Tsinghua Divine Cult.
That day, the beloved daughter said she wanted to see the servants of the Qinghua Divine Cult and personally drive them out of Dayuan Prefecture. Prince Rong'an thought this was just right.
If he were to step in, the other party would have to be given some face, given that the Crown Prince is backing them.
If his usually unruly daughter were to step forward, even if it embarrassed those people, Prince Rong'an would still have a way to back down.
But who would have thought that the servant of the Tsinghua Divine Cult would be a young and beautiful woman.
And after just one meeting, her beloved daughter took an instant liking to him, opened her heart to him, and wished she could give him the entire royal palace and the entire Dayuan Prefecture!
"I don't care, I'm going to build a shrine for him! Doesn't Father want me to live to be a hundred?"
"My dear daughter, wake up! Could it be that she used some kind of witchcraft on you? Father will have someone come and examine you right away."
"Bang bang bang!"
"Splash—"
Something inside the house broke, and the two people started arguing fiercely.
Prince Rong'an had always been obedient to Princess Mingzhu, but today he refused to spoil her any longer.
They even wanted to call someone to lock her up first.
"Go back to your room and calm down! You've never met her before, how could she possibly be genuinely looking out for you?"
"She clearly wants to take this opportunity to extract money from you and my son, and then use that opportunity to establish a branch of her cult!"
"I'll give her all the money I earn! I'm willing!"
"So what if she makes some money? I'd give her my life if she wanted it! I'd give her everything!"
"So what if she sets up a cult branch? Once the cult falls into her hands, it's no longer a cult!"
"You actually want to lock me up? After all these years, our father-daughter relationship was just a lie after all! I don't want to live anymore!"
"I'll hang myself right now!"
"Clang—"
Something fell over, making a loud noise.
Then came Prince Rong'an's terrified cry: "My dear daughter! Are you alright?!"
"Help! Help! Princess Mingzhu is injured! Quickly summon the royal physician!"
Amidst the chaos, many servants rushed towards this side.
Before even a stick of incense had burned, the old, white-haired physician was carried directly into the house by two strong servants.
Inside, Rong An Wang's initial resolute attitude and arrogant demeanor had completely disappeared, and he was now coaxing people in a gentle and soft voice.
Good daughter, dear daughter, good ancestor, dear ancestor...
Bitao stood outside the door, leaning against a thick pillar, basking in the sun with her eyes closed.
The morning sun is so lovely, its warmth gently caressing me. Even with her eyes closed, Bitao sees a fiery red before her.
"The Fairy of Peach Blossoms seems quite at ease. Aren't you really afraid that if Prince Rong'an gets angry, he will arrest you and interrogate you, causing you to fall out of love with Zhan Kui?"
Bitao opened her eyes. Although she had been facing the sunlight with her eyes closed, she couldn't see things clearly when she opened them for the first time.
However, she had already recognized who it was by the voice.
That same celestial being from the heavens, the Moon Goddess.
Bitao leaned against the corridor pillar, and no matter how chaotic things were inside, she didn't even change her posture.
At this moment, he only opened his eyelids slightly, looking down at the Moon Goddess with narrowed eyes.
After a moment, instead of answering, she asked, "Since I arrived here seven days ago, you have been sending messages by carrier pigeon every day."
"To whom did you send my message?"
Bitao recalled Zhan Kui saying that the Moon Goddess was an ancient immortal.
The people who reported this to Bitao were her two older brothers who had come to the palace with her. They said that the pigeons were heading towards the imperial city.
She then asked, "Is it for Mingguang?"
Guanghan's expression froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal.
It is perfectly normal for someone to be monitored while inside the Rong'an Prince's Mansion.
Even if the carrier pigeon is intercepted, it doesn't matter, since he didn't write any secrets about Prince Rong'an or Princess Mingzhu.
He just... complains to Mingguang every day.
I even sent one out this morning.
Meanwhile, the Danxi Prince's Mansion, far away in the capital, which receives messages by carrier pigeon every day, has been shrouded in gloom and gloom for the past few days.
Mingguang received a letter by carrier pigeon every day, and the content was basically the same.
Xiao Taozhi actually frequented brothels for several days in a row, and each day she sought out a different male prostitute to serve her, indulging in revelry day and night, and living a life of extravagance and debauchery.
Mingguang felt as if a huge stone was lodged in his chest, something he couldn't put down or lift up.
He was furious that Little Peach Branch had actually entangled with a mortal and had intercourse with him; she was frivolous and dissolute, and refused to cherish herself.
However, due to the great distance between them and the fact that she no longer has any memories of the past, it is impossible for her to restrain and discipline her across mountains and seas.
He couldn't possibly drag her out of that filthy place himself and give her a good talking-to.
These past few days, after court each day, I have been engrossed in official business with my staff and subordinates. However, before resting each night, I often get so angry that I write letters in the middle of the night because I think about Xiao Taozhi's lewd and dissolute behavior.
The words were sharp and incisive, as if they wanted to pierce her palm through the letter.
In the past, if there were disagreements or conflicts between two people, the person who eventually realized their mistake would be punished by being slapped on the palm of their hand.
After slapping each other's palms, the two people will make up.
Kexin wrote more than a dozen letters, which were covered with stamps, but Mingguang didn't send out a single one.
He had never acknowledged her before, nor had he ever mentioned that they were once close friends, inseparable, and perhaps destined to protect each other for life.
She doesn't remember him at all, and has completely forgotten her absurd infatuation with him in the Heavenly Realm. She's probably already enjoying the pleasures of love with other men and women.
What reason would he have to send her a letter to advise and restrain her words and actions?
She was once so close to him that she couldn't even take human form, yet she risked crossing the Immortal Emperor's Palace barrier—a barrier that could have killed her—on a stormy night to see him.
Later, when his memories were sealed, he gained close friends like Zhan Kui, and later, he had countless friends in the Nine Heavens, all of which he could accept and understand.
But he couldn't understand why she would indulge herself like this after forgetting everything in the mortal realm.
I found it even more unbearable, and I dared not even think about what she had done. How could she so casually associate such a thing with someone else...?
Mingguang was born self-disciplined and rigid in his thinking, even believing that doing such things at will was no different from being an animal.
Of all his attendants, he disliked the Moon Goddess the most and never took him to handle official duties or gain experience, precisely because he disliked his frivolous and immoral character.
So much so that even though he had been by his side for a long time, he was still only a god with a rank slightly higher than Lingxian.
If he weren't the only descendant of the Southern Dipper Star Lord and the most skilled in divination and fortune-telling, Mingguang might have refused to associate with him because he found him frivolous.
This time, when they descended to the mortal realm, he was the last person they sought out.
Mingguang merely imagined Xiaotaozhi becoming like him, and with a "crack," his fingers, gripping the pen, crushed the fine white jade pen handle to pieces.
He felt as if thousands of ants were crawling all over his body.
The veins on his arms gradually bulged, and the veins on his forehead also began to throb faintly.
no!
We can't let her continue like this.
Simply sending someone to watch over her isn't enough; she needs to focus on the competition to gain faith power.
I don't have time to go to places like that.
But what can we do?
He gripped the broken pen tightly, then suddenly looked down at the scattered white jade powder.
He then used the remaining piece of pen to trace the wooden mark inside his sleeve.
Yes.
He swept away the broken pen and the half-written reprimanding words on the paper.
Then he picked up a pen again, spread out a piece of paper, dipped the pen in ink, and wrote: "Seeing this letter is like meeting you in person; opening this letter brings a smile to my face."
I heard from Guanghan that you are now in Dayuan Prefecture, at the residence of Prince Rong'an.
Since returning to the capital, I have encountered many inconveniences due to the loss of my personal seal… Therefore, I am writing to inquire whether my personal seal has been found. ①
Mingguang didn't stop there and wrote another paragraph.
"I heard from Guanghan that you and Zhankui frequented brothels, which is truly inappropriate. That place is not a good place, and you must never go there again!"②
However, after staring at it for a long time, I felt that the tone of the latter part was too harsh and inappropriate.
He had no choice but to take another piece of paper and rewrite the above paragraph before putting it in the letter, sealing it with lacquer, and sending it out.
The reason why the carrier pigeons were so slow to deliver messages in the past few days was because of the heavy snow. The carrier pigeons were affected by the weather. Otherwise, since Dayuan Prefecture is thousands of miles away from the capital, the carrier pigeons could arrive in as little as two days.
However, ordinary letters cannot be sent by carrier pigeon. There are too many factors involved in sending a messenger. At present, the capital has just experienced heavy snow, and the towns along the way are still covered with snow. It would be difficult to deliver the letter in less than ten days.
By the time the letter arrived, preparations for the construction of Zhan Kui's ancestral hall in Dayuan Prefecture had already begun.
Bitao has already selected a large mansion in Fengling City and gathered her brothers and some useful members of the refugees there to discuss the next steps in their plan.
As a result, early in the morning, just as he stepped out of Zhan Kui's house, he was stopped by the Guanghan Goddess, who was wearing a low-cut robe in the freezing cold.
Has Zhan Kui woken up?
"What is it?" Bitao appeared gentle, but in reality, she had no desire to see this goddess of the Moon Palace.
She even felt that it was he who had coaxed Zhan Kui into tasting the forbidden fruit, which made her unable to stop and indulge in sexual pleasures all day long.
Bitao learned from Zhan Kui that the reason why the Guanghan Immortal had been staying at Rong An Wang's mansion was because he needed Rong An Wang's recommendation.
He wanted to enter the Imperial Capital Observatory, a place that even the princes might not be able to actually reach.
Mingguang can't reach out now.
However, Prince Rong'an and the current abbot of Ci'en Temple, who is in charge of the observatory, had a mutual support relationship many years ago during the war.
That's why the Moon Goddess swallowed her anger and coaxed Zhan Kui into living off her, waiting for a recommendation.
This old white-faced man is quite cunning, and Bitao doesn't think much of his dissolute lifestyle.
However, Bitao doesn't show her true colors to anyone; it's just that the curve of her lips is a bit fake.
The Moon Goddess was exceptionally intelligent and adept at reading people's expressions. She knew that the Peach Blossom Fairy now wished she could strangle him because of his affair with Zhan Kui.
Why.
The Moon Goddess steeled herself and pulled a letter from her bosom.
"This is... Mingguang asked me to give it to you."
"Mingguang?"
Bitao hesitated before accepting it.
In front of the Moon Goddess, he opened the envelope and read it quickly.
For some reason, Wen Ping couldn't maintain his composure. With a dark expression, he stuffed the letter into his pocket, didn't even say a polite goodbye, and turned to leave.
This morning, before I'd even had breakfast, a debt collector came knocking!
Reading this letter, I'm so embarrassed! You big idiot!
Even though he's already gone to the capital and become the Prince of Danxi in a grand and glorious way, he still hasn't forgotten to write to her asking for her private seal!
This goddess of the Moon Palace is such a big mouth!
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